Victim identified in fatal Salem crash

Salem — Police have identified a man from East Hampton as the victim of a fatal two-car crash on Route 85 in the area of Skyline Drive early Wednesday.

Around 5:45 a.m., Richard Banning, 55, was driving his 2001 Ford Focus southbound on Route 85 when he entered the northbound lane and was struck by Thomas Moriarty, of West Springfield, Mass. The air bags in Banning’s Ford Focus did not deploy, according to the accident report issued by state police. He was wearing a seat belt and was taken to The William W. Backus Hospital with blunt trauma injuries but did not survive, police said.

Route 85 was shut down for close to four hours following the accident as state police investigated. The state Department of Transportation also reported that the roadway was icy and sent trucks to treat it.

According to the accident report, Moriarty was taken by ambulance to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London with chest pain. The air bags in his 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 deployed, and he was wearing a seat belt, police said.

Police said the accident is under investigation, and any witnesses are asked to contact Troop K at (860) 537-7500.